Transport supremo Roger Jones is set to make a triumphant return to the body which decides travel policy in Greater Manchester.
Coun Jones, who masterminded the congestion charge bid, was the chairman of the organisation until 2008, when he was ousted after losing his council seat.
Now, a year after being re-elected, he is expected to be back at the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee – but says he does not want the chairman’s job.
Labour is expected to retake control of the body after the Liberal Democrats fared badly in the local elections.
The party is set to gain five out of seven seats on the executive committee, taking the helm for the first time since the congestion charge debate.
Coun Jones said he was eyeing up the posts and will nominate himself for a position as vice-chairman.
But he says he will leave the top job to his colleague Andrew Fender, who is currently the top Labour man on the committee.
Coun Jones said: “Andrew has done a brilliant job in opposition and I think he will be standing unopposed.”
But he did not rule out a bid for the top job in the future.
He added: “I think if you are in politics then you have to have ambition. It took me a long time to get to the top and it’s going to take me a while to get back up there.”
The transport group is made up of 33 representatives, nominated from the region’s ten local authorities. But a ruling seven-person committee controls key decisions.
A coalition of Lib Dems and Conservatives took control of the board in 2008, but poor results for the Lib Dems in local elections will see Labour gain 21 of the seats.
The Labour group of committee members is now to hold a meeting to decide who to nominate for the chairman’s position before the TfGMC annual meeting on June 24.
Coun Andrew Fender, Labour group leader, said: “The Labour group of 21 members will be meeting to decide who to put forward for which positions.”
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"Coun Jones said he was eyeing up the posts and will nominate himself for a position as vice-chairman."
Such hubris...
So Roger Jones is back, what hair brained scheme will he dream up now.
The people of Greater Manchester rejected his last brain storm on congestion charge, so does that not show we have no faith in the man and should not be allowed back on the transport committee because i predict he will try and bring the congestion charge back in another disguise.
Talk about jobs for the boys, the last Labour government stank and now we have a similar stench emanating from this lot..
"“I think if you are in politics then you have to have ambition. It took me a long time to get to the top and it’s going to take me a while to get back up there.”
If ambition is being chair of a tin pot comitee in the NW of England tasked with begging to London for funds to subsidise buses then yes, you go for it.
Lots of angry comments, but people only have themselves to blame. If he's so rubbish, why did so many people vote him back in? He's either not rubbish or, I fear, has been voted in by Labour sheep who would vote for a chest of drawers if it had a red rosette stuck on it.
Unbelievable !
Let's see what crackpot car-hating, money-grubbing scheme he and his elite overlords try and foist on us plebs next. It's for our own good, you know.
I suspect if he has to do it with any form of accountability or public input he'll get his nose bloodied again.
One of the aims of the new Greater Manchester Combined Authority was to get round tedious andtime-consuming inconveniences, such as asking the electorate what they think.
The congestion charge scheme will be re-introduced, and this time, it will be voted through by the new over-arching body - none of whom, of course, have been actually elected to do that task.
Let's hope there's a new congestion charge with a world class transport infrastructure proposed!
Type your comment here...A question for tyhose more knowleable than myself.
Has Roger Jones ever had a 'proper', non-council job?
I ask because, after losing his seat in 2008 he was reported to have commented that he would have to look for a proper job.
I for one, found coun jones, utterly charming when we met at the congressional councils meetings in feb early this year.
he has been much reviled since he was ousted but without his leadership skills and forward thinking many of the projects he has lead may well have fallen foul of beaurocracy and red tape stand-still.
good luck Gordon from all the fellows at meadowbrook halls.
“I think if you are in politics then you have to have ambition. It took me a long time to get to the top and it’s going to take me a while to get back up there.”
How about having the ambition to serve the people and not just boost your ego?
It is this attitude of lots of politicians that tarnishes the many hard working MPs & councillors who focus on their constituents/wards.
As the electorate gave the coalition a nudge in the elections by giving Labour the protest vote, they will rue the day they gave power to a party with a rather strange approach to providing local services.
"Deny the passenger,who wants to get on" Passengers by Elton John
Piles of money spent on 'leaders, consultants, and specialists'
Still no money spent on local rail services, ticket offices, evening/sunday funded bus services, proper sized trams, extra rolling stock for jampacked trains, and the most basic, common sense ideas.
mastermind more like bird brained, for someone to get something completely wrong about the publics condemnation of the congestion charge, need to be sweeping the streets not back on the jobs for the boys comittee!!!